Final Fantasy VII Gaia's Tears
by Robert S. Kester
Summary: Takes place after Dirge of Cerberus, a year or so afterwards. Vincent is once again the hero, but he must fight and old nemesis... Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter One, Schism

The forest seemed dark and unwelcoming to Cloud. The trees were wilted; flowers bent, and twigs were snapping beneath his feet. There was but one flower standing straight and tall and Cloud couldn't keep his eye off of it.

Suddenly a blinding light emerged from only a few feet behind him and color returned to the forest. Trees and flowers took to their shape, and there was nothing except beauty beneath his feet.

"Cloud." A voice said from where the light came. He turned around and saw her.

"Hello." Cloud was filled with joy, though he didn't show it. She smiled and handed him a flower, the one that had been standing in the middle of the forest.

"One gil, remember?" When he did not answer she giggled and picked a flower from the ground, "It was almost four years ago. You bought a flower and said, 'You don't see these much anymore,' and it's true. The world should be like this, Cloud. Of course, it's only a dream."

"It doesn't feel like one." he replied.

"No. It doesn't." She spoke in utter silence, but Cloud could still hear her voice. Aerith knew he was still upset about her death, she could feel it. "Dilly dally, shilly shally... You've grown so strong, don't give up now."

Cloud's head fell, ashamed that he was letting himself weaken. He tried to hide his emotion, but the image kept replaying over and over in his head.

"If I didn't leave you, you would have had absolutely no reason to fight 'til the end," Cloud looked into her eyes. "It was not intended. But if you ever need me, I will be here. Just call my name." The flower girl smiled and Cloud was once again blinded from a holy light. The forest remained the same and Cloud grasped the flower Aerith had given him, to his chest.

"Cloud, Cloud!" another voice shouted. This woke him up. Tifa Lockheart was standing in the door way. "You're going to be late. Come on."

Cloud stood up, puzzled, and asked, "Where are we going?" He picked up his sword and noticed in his hand he was still clutching the flower Aerith gave him in his dream.

Tifa sighed and replied, "To the Briefing Room. Reeve wants to meet with us... I have a feeling that he's got a new mission for us."

Cloud stood there, looking at the flower and noticed something shining in it. He peeled back the petals and noticed a materia stone in it. He did not know what kind it was, but he shoved the stone in his pocket and walked out with Tifa to the WRO Headquarter's Briefing Room.

"Hey, Barret. Reeve's not here yet, huh?" Tifa spoke to Barret while Cloud sat down at the table. They heard him give a slight growl.

"No, and I wish he would hurry!! So damn slow..." He popped his neck and then sat down.

"You're right. He should be here by now... I wonder where he is." Tifa looked at Barrett as he gave her a strange look. He leaned back in the chair as he waited with them for Reeve.

After a few minutes of thinking, Cloud spoke up out of the dead silence of the room, "He'll be here. There's no reason to worry."

"Well, Cloud, we just so anxious t'day. Ain't that right, Tif?"

"Yeah... I definitely am. Ever since Vincent took care of Omega, things have been too quiet... Cloud, what do you think?"

He looked at her and said "I'm doing this for Aerith... I only joined so I could keep fighting for her. I want to create a world that she would have wanted to live in." He rose from his seat and continued, "I just wish that killing Sephiroth wasn't so pointless… We kill him, or his reincarnations, and that's it, nothing else, she's never coming back, no matter what we do... But somehow... I don't think she wants me to be sad over her. No, I learned that when I defeated him the last time. She wants me to move on..." Tifa nodded.

A few minutes later, Barrett randomly took out a huge book and began to read it. "I think we need to get some of this Materia!"

Tifa straightened her gloves and stood up. "Come on, guys. If Aerith knows that we're fighting for her, then there's no need to be upset. Believe me; I have a strong feeling that even where she is, she knows."

Cloud remembered in his dream what Aerith had said, "_If I didn't leave you, you would have had absolutely no reason to fight 'til the end."_ And it was true. He would have given up. That's just who he was.

Tifa smiled at Cloud and pulled him into the hallway. "How about a shot of Tifa's Sunrise? We'll go back to the Seventh Heaven, and I'll make you whatever you want."

Cloud did not answer.

"Heck, give me about two Sunrises, four Grookies, three Malaskins, and five Juicy Cheers!" Barret shouted as he shoved his paperwork in a business folder. As he was about to put his folder in a desk drawer, one tiny yellow slip of paper fell to the ground. It read:_ Davien Marcel... Failed in sword combat... Stole three pouches of materia from storage... Broke three training swords... Raided last year's funds... Stole all forty casks of Malaskins." _ Barret crumbled the paper and tossed it into the bin next to the desk. Grinning, he cocked his mechanical 'gun arm' and took off running through the halls. "Don't forget my Grookies!" he shouted back at Tifa.

"Poor ol' Barret..." Cloud said, chuckling. Tifa looked at Cloud and smiled, knowing that he wanted a Vodka, his usual drink. "So... What do we do if Reeve comes while we're at the bar?"

"He can call us. Cloud..." Tifa said in wonder "Do you want your usual Vodka?" She stopped, expecting a 'yes'.

"Do weird visions ever appear in your dreams? Because last night I dreamt of Aerith, and she gave me a flower... I had it in my hands when I woke up and there was a Materia stone in it."

"I had a dream a few days ago and she was in it. We were back in Midgar and I saw her. She looked so happy. Midgar had changed; there was life and flowers everywhere. And then she came up to me and gave me a materia stone. This one." Tifa pulled a Green stone from her back pocket. "I found it lying on top of my gloves when I woke up."

"I didn't know what mine was when I pulled it out from the flower..." Cloud pulled a book from Reeve's desk drawer and flipped through the pages. "It's a... Memory Materia."

"What does it do?" Tifa asked.

Cloud read some more. "When a person uses a blank Memory Materia, they can record whatever they want onto it... If a person uses one that has already been imprinted, they can see whatever was recorded into it. Once the recording is viewed, the Materia becomes unstable and crumbles away."

Tifa gave him a strange look. "What about mine?"

Cloud turned the page. "It appears to be a Dream Materia. It allows you to fall asleep and talk to loved ones in the Lifestream."

Tifa thought for a second, "What about Aerith? I could use it to get some answers."

"It could work." Cloud replied. "Try it."

A transparent pink light soon surrounded Tifa, and she fell over on the couch. "Ugh."

Cloud waited for an hour before a pink aura left a bed of roses around Tifa and she awakened.

"What happened? Did you see her?" Cloud queried, rising from the chair suddenly to be closer to her.

"I did. She said a great and dark calamity is going to face us soon and we need to be prepared for it." She rose up and another materia stone rested in a white rose. Cloud knew right away what it was. It was a healing materia.

"Why would we need this?" Tifa asked.

"That's one hell of a question. We already have Curative Materia..." He replied.

"Whatever the case, I'm sure you'll still want that Vodka. I'll go pour you a glass. Be there in twenty minutes." She smiled and walked out the door, toward the bar.

Cloud sat still, staring at the materia he held in his hand. Thirty minutes elapsed before he realized what time it was.

He stood up, dusted his clothes, and headed to the 7th Heaven. On his way to Find Your Way Street, he noticed a black van outside the doors. It had a picture on the side with a blue meteor and a logo marked _Arley & Marcel Corporation ~ Here to do those jobs you don't want to._ Cloud took it as bad sign and entered the doors to the Bar, ready to fight.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!" A woman shrieked and several gunshots fired. "Cloud!" He recognized this voice. Tifa was in trouble. Barret came running in through the main doors.

"The hell's going on?" Security guards were everywhere but not a single one could or even bothered to help her. Cloud shoved his way past them all and stepped in front of Tifa.

"Leave her alone!" Cloud shouted. A tall, blonde haired man grinned as he took off his gloves and finished a Grookie. He sat his glass down on the table and removed his white trench coat to reveal a grey muscle shirt and blue denim pants. He also had a utility belt, with pouches, throwing knives, and other various tools attached.

"I'm sorry. Are we interrupting?" He said with a taunting smirk on his face. "We don't mean to. We just want the lady to do what we say. Because everyone knows, what we say goes. Isn't that right, Finnie?"

"That's right boss." The person who spoke was a fat man standing against the wall; bald, though young.

"There you have it. Nobody messes with Arley and Marcel Corp. And especially not with me, everyone knows that."

"Who are you?" Tifa said angrily, while holding Cloud's hand.

"Me? I am Joel Arley, President of Arley and Marcel; and in case you didn't know, we do everything you don't want to do."

Barret stood with an angry look on his face. "Thugs, gangsters..."

"No, we aren't just mere gangsters, we are the modern day reincarnate of Shinra in its Rufus days." He said, drawing a sword that had been sheathed on his back. It was like Sephiroth's, but shorter. Thin, strong, sharp, and swift. Cloud was experienced in fighting this type.

Cloud drew his sword, as well. "So, what're you planning to do with Tifa?"

"I don't know, I was thinking of a prisoner exchange... You come with us, Cloud, and we give back Reeve Tuesti. If you don't, then you'll never see this pretty girl again. Of course, we need you so we can revive 'him' and then he'll lead us to the promised land."

"What?! The Promised Land?!" Barret aimed his gun at Joel's head. "Watchu want with that?! 'Course it ain't like you freaks is ever gon' get to it!!"

"If we go to the Promised Land, we'll become rich."

"You said you were going to revive 'him'! Who?!" Cloud shouted at him with his sword raised in anticipation of a fight.

Ignoring Cloud, Joel turned his attention toward Tifa, who locked eyes with the devious man.

"Princess, why don't you come with me?" He took several steps toward her and Cloud sliced at him with his sword, but he dissapeared in a blue flash, only to reappear behind Cloud.

"Don't you ever come near her again!" Cloud shouted, not lowering his weapon. The two engaged in a battle in which Barret and Tifa soon joined.

Cloud made sure he didn't let Joel take one swing at Tifa. Barret fired his Charge Shot several times at Joel's sidekicks to keep them away.

After Cloud blocked a bullet from Finnie's gun, he decided to use magic. Sparks gathered around his sword and when he struck the ground, lightning rained down to attack Joel and his friends. Even though this spell was powerful, the thugs were kept safe from it with what appeared to be Barrier Materia.

"Enough of this!" Joel and his lackeys got into the van and drove off. Barret tried to shoot them, but Cloud kept him from doing it.

"Damn! Cloud. Why you lettin' them get away?!"

"There's no reason to stop them."

"To hell there ain't no reason, they said somethin' 'bout reviving someone. What if it's Sephiroth?!"

"If it is Sephiroth, then I'll deal with him when the time comes."

"Y'know, Cloud... You've changed too much for your own good."

"Guys... How are we going to figure out what they're doing?" Tifa straightened out her gloves and sat down on a stool.

"I donno... What do you think, Cloud? " Cloud didn't answer and just left the bar. Outside, he planted himself on the Fenrir and TIfa ran out after him.

"Where are you going?!"

"I'm going to find out what Joel and his friends are planning..."

"You're doing it again..."

"What?"

"Shutting me out... Not letting anyone help you. Please! Let me help you?"

"Tifa... It's dangerous." Cloud started the bike, but was interrupted by feeling the warmth of Tifa's hand on his.

"So?! It's a little too late to be worrying about that now, isn't it?" He sighed and then nodded for her to get on the Fenrir behind him. "Well, where do we start?"

"Vincent..."

"You mean, the Forgotten City?" Cloud nodded. "Let's go, then..."

The Forgotten City.

The Fenrir raced between the odd looking trees of the only path that ran through the area, with Cloud and Tifa on its mechanical back. Its wheels spun fiercly and then stopped as they arrived at the central area, with the pool that Cloud had let Aerith's body go in right in the middle of the place and the strange looking Coral House beyond it. They both got off of the bike, "Vincent, are you here?!" Cloud yelled for their friend, wherever he may be.

"Cloud... So you've come?" Vincent stepped out from behind one of the trees, his mysterious voice sending shivers down their spines.

"Vincent... I... We need some answers..."

"So you've encountered Joel and his gang, then?" Cloud nodded and Vincent walked toward them from his semi-comfortable spot of leaning on the tree.

"Yes. What are they up to? They said something about reviving someone..."

"I'm not entirely sure yet. I just know that they are an extremely dangerous group, with vast resources. Though the more I learn about them, the more it becomes a possibilty that they're planning on bringing Sephiroth back..."

"Then, it's true... That's what that meant. . ."

Tifa was puzzled, "What what meant, Cloud?"

"When I defeated Sephiroth the last time, he told me that he'd never be 'just a memory'. I think he meant that he'd never stop coming back..."

"Then maybe... There could be a way to stop him, Cloud... I'll look into it." Vincent started to walk away.

"Wait!" Tifa shouted at him, "Where are you going this time?"

"Aerith, Vincent?" Cloud looked at Vincent with a curious look on his face.

"Yes... She would know."

"Cloud, what's he talking about?"

"Somehow, Vincent knows how to talk to Aerith's spirit better than either one of us can, even with that Materia. He can control the spirit contact better and stay with her longer until he has the answers he needs." Cloud started to walk back to the Fenrir with Tifa.

"Wait... For my call. Don't do anything stupid..." Vincent grabbed Cloud's arm as he told him his instructions.

"Alright. We'll go back to the 7th Heaven, if you need to find us."

Back at the bar...

Cloud and Barret sat at the bar watching Tifa arrange miscellaneous stuff, looking bored. Nanaki was outside, sunning, Marlene was sitting at one of the booths, and the whole group was simply waiting for the vibrant ring of Cloud's phone. Shelke came into the bar and approached Cloud and Barret, "Hasn't Vincent called yet?" Cloud shook his head, "So, I assume he's still investigating... I wonder where he is..."

"Yo, Shelke, calm down, aight?" Barret was patting her on the back, "He'll call soon. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried. I am simply tired of waiting on him."

"I know how you feel... " Cloud arose from his stool, "So, I'm going to go find him."

Tifa gasped, "But Cloud, he asked us not to do anything until he made his call!"

"Cloud," Barret spoke up, "If he said he don't want you t'do nothin' 'til he calls, then don't do nothin'! It's one thing to piss me off, but it's a whole lot worse to piss him off!"

"I'm worried about him. He may be strong, but he isn't invincible."

"So, call him. That don't apply to what he said, does it? Did he say you couldn't call him?"

"No... No, he didn't." Cloud dialed the number and walked around the bar looking for the best reception.

Nibelheim, old sewer.

Vincent was making his way backwards through the sewer from the Shinra Manor to get to the old Mako Reactor when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and flipped it open, putting it up to his ear.

"Vincent?" Cloud's voice eminated from the tiny speaker in the earpiece.

"Cloud. Why did you call me?"

"To check up on you. You said you'd give me a call, but you never did."

"You're impatient."

"So I've been told, but what have you found?"

"I talked to Aerith... She told me to go to the old Mako Reactor in the Nibel Mountains. She said that's the only way we're going to get our answers."

"So where are you now?"

"I'm in the sewer making my way to the Reactor. You needn't worry. The Sahagin here aren't a threat. Listen, I'll call you back once I get out of the Reactor, but right now, I have to go." Cloud could hear the firing of Vincent's gun and the death cries of several monsters.

"Wait, Vin-" Vincent flipped the phone closed and placed it back in his pocket, ignoring Cloud's request. He continued to make his way through the Sewer, killing the occasional Sahagin along the way.

The 7th Heaven.

Shelke looked at Cloud in anticipation. "So?"

"He's in the sewer at Nibelheim, making his way to the old Mako Reactor in the mountains. Aerith told him that he'd find answers there."

"Be careful, Vincent Valentine..." Shelke looked outside and watched Nanaki arise. He opened the bar door and came inside.

"Pardon me, but I heard. It's the ears... As I recall, the mansion area was fairly dangerous..."

"Yeah, but he can handle it... " Cloud checked the time on his phone and sat back down on the stool.

"Well, he'd better come back soon, or I'mma beat his ass whenever he does get back!!" Barret was randomly shaking his fist in the air angrily.

"What do we do now?" Tifa stepped out from behind the bar after she'd finished cleaning. "Well?"

"I think Rufus may be able to tell us something. Are you coming, Tifa?" Cloud walked out of the bar with Tifa following behind and they both got onto the Fenrir.

"Healin, then?" Cloud nodded. "Do you really think Rufus will have anything to say that we need to know?" Cloud started the bike.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." The bike revved up and kicked up dust as they sped down the streets of Edge towards the Healin Lodge that Rufus was residing in.

Healin

Cloud and Tifa both walked up the walkway to be met with Reno who was guarding the door. "Oh, what brings you two here?"

"We need to talk to Rufus."

"Cloud... Y'know... I haven't seen you in a while..."

"Reno," Tifa stepped forward, "Let us in."

"I don't think so. The boss doesn't want any visitors right now..."

"Dammit Reno..." Cloud gripped the handle of his sword, "I don't want to have to force my way in..." He began pulling the sword out in an attempt to force a change of Reno's heart.

"Alright, alright, buddy... He's right inside." Reno stepped to the side as Cloud entered the door but stepped in front of Tifa as she tried to get in. "No way, only one visitor right now... The boss ain't feelin' too well today."

"Reno..." Tifa had already began putting her fighting gloves on. "Let me in."

"You know, that actually doesn't work so well unless Cloud does it." Tifa punched at him but he jumped into the air. He landed down on the ground near the Fenrir. She jumped after him and they began to fight.

"Rufus... Tell me what you know."

"Hmm... Cloud. It has been a while, hasn't it?" Rufus was standing in front of the window, looking outside at Reno and Tifa fighting. "She's a good fighter..." He took a sip of the drink he had been holding in his hand.

"Talk. What do you know about Joel Arley and his 'friends'?!"

"Joel Arley... Joel Arley... Ah, yes, now that I think about it, that name does sound familiar... Doesn't he own a restaraunt in Edge?"

"I'm serious, Rufus." Cloud gripped his sword. "Talk."

Rufus turned around and stared seriously at Cloud. "You can't take me."

"I can take Sephiroth."

"Alright. Joel Arley... The main thing I know is... He was once an employee at Shinra, and if I recall correctly, he loved the way I ran things... He couldn't stay away from work when I was in charge. He said I was his hero. Strange, isn't it?"

"What do they want?!"

"Money. To be the richest people ever to live. They actually have the same goal my father did, in a way: to find the Promised Land. They believe a great secret is there that will make whoever posesses it the richest man on the planet. Father believed it was a Mako-rich area on which they could build a new Midgar and become richer than ever."

"That's all they want?"

"Well, what can I say? Money holds extreme power over some people. Especially people like them."

"They believe someone's going to lead them to the Promised Land... Who?" Rufus walked up to Cloud and got in his face.

"I don't know." He backed away.

"Rufus, I'm serious here. I have to know."

"Haven't you sent one of your people to check on that anyway? Which one was it, Vincent?"

"How did you know? "

"We're keeping tabs on your group. We're kind of... Supporting the WRO from behind the scenes. Don't worry. It's actually a good thing that some of my men are there. I've ordered them to give Vincent backup if he needs it."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me..."

Back outside, Reno and TIfa continued fighting ignorantly as Cloud came out the door. "Tifa, stop. We're leaving." Tifa and Reno stopped fighting and she got onto the bike with Cloud. "I'll see you sometime later, Reno." Reno nodded and they left. The bike sped fiercely over the dirt road until they reached the Midgar Badlands, leading to Edge.

"Cloud... What did Rufus tell you?" Tifa shouted over Fenrir's engine.

"Nothing we didn't already know..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah..." They arrived at Edge and finally to the 7th Heaven. They both went inside and found just Vincent waiting for them. "Vincent?"

"Cloud... You're finally here..."

"What did you find?" An image played in Vincent's head of what he had seen inside the old Mako Reactor. The tanks that around ten years ago Cloud had peered into and seen the horrible experiments... The monsters. The place where Sephiroth had gone insane wondering if that was how he was created, as well...

"The tanks... That you and Sephiroth looked inside of when you investigated the Reactor... SOLDIER removed the things inside those tanks, didn't they?"

"Yes, why?"

"When I looked into those tanks... I saw... People... I think. They were twisted... I have no idea what they were." Vincent remembered the horrible image. "Anyway, I went to investigate some of the other areas in the Reactor and I found Joel and his goons having a meeting. They said that 'he' would be back soon, if they could find a 'suitable host body'. There's no doubt anymore, Cloud. They're trying to bring Sephiroth back."

"What does that host body thing mean?"

"I'm thinking that they're trying to get Sephiroth's soul from the Lifestream to bond with a body, but none of them would work..."

"Vincent... Earlier, when we encountered them, they wanted me to come with them so they could resurrect Sephiroth. Do you think I'm the host body they need?"

"Well... Sephiroth has been able to take control of you before. Like when he made you give him the Dark Materia... Maybe you are." Vincent began heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

Vincent didn't answer and just continued to walk off. Cloud followed him.

"This isn't you. Where are you going?!" They kept walking.

"They still have Reeve. I'm getting him back."

"You need to give the guys there some kind of order. Without Reeve, you're in command and everyone's lost with no idea of what they should do."

"They should wait for Reeve to return. That's where I'm going." Vincent walked further down the street but he was stopped by a familiar face. A blonde-haired man in a blue shirt with a cigarrete in his mouth. "Cid... What are you doing?"

"Well, pardner, dontcha think it'd be a bit more convenient to have an airship take ya where you needs goin'?" Cid's hick accent always seemed to be like nails on a chalkboard for Vincent, but he got over it.

"No thanks. I don't need anyone's help..." Vincent tried to push his way past Cid, but he held his ground.

"Now, I insist. Honestly, can't ya take someone's help, just once?"

"The Shera crashed."

"I got her fixed up. Now, like it er not, yer comin' with me, buddy." Cid took Vincent to a place where the airship was docked and they got on board. "Meet the Shera Mark 2. She's a beaut, ain't she?" Cloud managed to follow them onboard and was slightly amazed by the new bridge.

"It sure is new, Cid." Cloud sat down at the newly installed sectional-styled sofa placed in the center of the bridge. "Hmmm... Comfy."

"Go sit by Cloud and we'll take off." Vincent sat down and the new Shera flew off into the sky. "Now, where to?"

"Nibelheim."

"Heh... No airship dock there... I've been waitin' t'try this puppy's landin' struts."

"Vincent..." Cloud looked over at Vincent from his spot on the couch, "Where exactly is Reeve being kept?"

"I heard them say that they were going to move him from some place to the Shinra Manor."

"Let me go with you."

"I can't do that."

"You can do that, because I'm going with you, whether you want me to or not."

"Hmm... You've made that clear, I guess." After their talk, they just sat back and waited for the arrival at Nibelheim. Around an hour later, they landed around a mile from the entrance to the city. A gate on the Shera opened up and Cloud, along with Vincent, sped out on the Fenrir. They rode for a few minutes and arrived at the gate. Cloud parked the bike, opened up the sword storage, armed himself, and they both walked to the Shinra Manor.

The Shinra Manor

"Here we split up." Vincent began to walk upstairs in the Manor, "I'll check the basement. You check the rest."

"No Vincent." Cloud shook his head. "You can't do this all the time. Stop. I learned a year ago that everything was okay, but you still haven't. Why won't you? Sure, you may not have Lucrecia around anymore, but I don't have Aerith anymore, so we're both the same."

"Maybe... You're right... " Vincent thought for a minute, "Come with me." They both went upstairs to access the secret stairway to the basement of the mansion.

"Where do you think Reeve is?"

"I don't know... We'll find him." They went into the basement labratory area and found that there were Arley & Marcel Corp soldiers there. They fought off all that they found and entered a room. Inside, they found Reeve, tied up and unconscious. "Reeve!" Vincent untied him and woke him up.

"Ugh... Vincent? Where are we?"

"Nibelheim... Shinra Manor."

"Cloud... You're here, too? Wait... Vincent, you're with somebody for once..."

"Yeah... We need to go... Cloud, take the lead." Cloud busted out the door with his sword drawn and killed several thugs while Reeve and Vincent followed.

"Vincent Valentine, Cloud Strife... You _both_ came for him?" They looked down the hallway and watched Joel approach them.

"Joel Arley... We can finally finish what we started in Edge." Cloud prepared to fight the blonde haired gang leader as he walked slowly towards them down the hallway.

"No... That isn't what I'm here for."

"Then, why are you here?"

"Oh, you'll see." Joel began to gather an aura of Mako around him and he outstretched his arms, "The Reunion is near..."

"So it is Sephiroth." Vincent placed his hand on his gun.

"Yes, it is me..." Joel's voice changed and so did his eyes, to resemble Sephiroth's more.

"Sephiroth? Tell me, how can you do all of this now that the Jenova cells are gone?" Cloud's eyes widened.

Sephiroth laughed and replied, "You think I could do all of that because of Mother's cells? Well, they were helpful, but..." He just chuckled after that.

"I'm stronger than I was before. You won't win... You didn't win then."

"I underestimated you before. But I'm not about to make that mistake again." The aura around Joel lifted off and sped, as a stream, to Cloud; It entered his body and he growled in pain.

"Cloud!" Vincent grabbed him and turned in Chaos. He also grabbed Reeve, and with both of them, sped out of the mansion and into the Shera, "Cid, get Cloud to sickbay... Something's happened and I need to run some tests. Now." Chaos turned back into Vincent as he handed Cloud to Cid to help to sickbay.

"What happened?" It turns out that Tifa was on board and she approached Vincent.

"... Joel did something to him... I don't know what yet." Vincent went to sickbay and after about an hour, he came back to the bridge. The Shera was flying around, since Cid wasn't sure whether or not to take it back to Edge. "A foreign Lifestream has invaded Cloud's body and is slowly taking control of him... The Lifestream is Sephiroth's."

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"I don't know yet, Tifa."

"Dammit... That's not good enough..."

"Well... It will have to be... Cid, take us back to Edge." Cid nodded and Vincent went back into Sickbay to see Cloud. "Cloud..."

"Cloud? He's not here right now." Cloud started chuckling. "I'll tell him you came by if he ever decides to come back..."

"Sephiroth?"

"Yes, it is I. You know, he is quite a fighter. I'm surprised that I haven't been able to control more than his head yet..." Sephiroth raised his head and peered at Vincent. Cloud's eyes had changed to match Sephiroth's exactly, with the pupil shaped like a cat's, the coloring and everything. "Poor little puppet..."

"What are you planning to do, exactly?"

"I'm planning on being born again, in this body. Once I have reawakened, I will resume my previous attempt to become a god."

"And how exactly do you plan on damaging the planet, again, without Meteor?"

"You'll see."

"No." Vincent's eyes widened.

"Oh, yes, mister Valentine... This is going to happen this time... I'll make sure of it." Sephiroth chuckled and a dark aurora began to gather around Cloud until a black mist blocked any view of him. Suddenly, the darkness forced its way into to Cloud as tendrils but it was not Cloud that remained, but Sephiroth. "Finally, I can do what needs to be done." A bright flash and Sephiroth was gone.

"Tifa!!" Vincent ran out into the bridge and told Tifa about all that had happened in sickbay, "Cloud turned into Sephiroth and vanished."

"Well, where'd he go?"

"I don't know... He said that he was going to attempt to become a god again, just like three years ago..."

"Then we need to go the Northern Cave. But, would he go back there again, Vincent?"

"Most likely. It is still the best access point for Lifestream energy." Vincent had a look on his face emphasizing that he felt a sense of failure.

"Vincent, it's okay. We'll find him and get Cloud back..."

"Hey, we're back now. I'm docking..." Cid steered the Shera into position and the party of Vincent, Tifa, and Cid stepped off of the ship, into the Aeroport.

"We need to go back to the bar and gather our thoughts." Vincent began to walk away, but Tifa stopped him.

"What more is there to do? Isn't it just a matter of finding Sephiroth and fighting him?" Tifa was clearly anxious.

"Who has the power? None of us, not even together, can defeat Sephiroth, but..."

"But what?"

"There is a way that I may be able to defeat Sephiroth. I'll be at the Forgotten City. There are some texts there that may assist me in figuring things out." Vincent walked over to Cid, "It's on another continent, will you take me?"

"Yeah, buddy. Let's go." Cid, Tifa, and Vincent boarded the Shera once again and they took off into the sky.

"Cid... It'll be dangerous. I suggest you stay in the town. I'll make my way to the Forgotten City."

"Alright. Are ye sure 'bout all this?"

Vincent nodded but was alerted by a bright green flash heading towards the ship, "CID!"

"I see it!!!" Cid jerked the steering wheel to the left and barely avoided whatever it was. "What in the hell was that?"

"The Lifestream... I was afraid this may happen. The Lifestream has already recognized Sephiroth as a threat, so this is similar to an immune response, other than the fact that the Lifestream is attacking randomly since it evidently is unable to locate Sephiroth. It's in a frenzy."

"What can we do?"

Vincent grunted and then looked throught the glass floor at the passing clouds beneath his feet, "We need to stop Sephiroth."

Tifa sighed, "Then we're going to the Forgotten City. All of us, together." Vincent nodded and Cid continued steering the ship on its course.

It took them around another hour to arrive at the Forgotten City, and they made their way to the old Coral House, but were stopped to see Joel Arley's men there. "Friends, welcome! I hear that he's finally back. Have you come here to await him, as well?"

Vincent had placed his hand on his gun and was prepared to fight, "Move, or I'll kill you all." His voice was now a snarl and a red aura had begun to gather around his body.

Joel nodded and his men backed out of the path to the house, letting Vincent enter. For a few minutes, he skimmed through some old scrolls until he found one with the information he needed, "I need to use Chaos to call upon the power of the planet. This is only possible during a time of great crisis, when that world's enemy returns. Gaia's Tears? I don't understand..."

"Gaia's Tears? What's that?" Tifa looked over Vincent's shoulder and scanned the scroll that he was holding, but she could not understand the ancient text.

"The Fayth? That's what the Cetra used to call the spirits in the Lifestream. And... The Farplane? It's their old word for the Lifestream... Gaia's Tears... But what does Materia have to do with using Chaos to call upon the planet for help?" Vincent paused briefly to think, but he looked at Tifa and let out a gasp. "Dream Materia? I sense it."

"What? Vincent, what are you talking about?"

"Gaia's Tears are Materia pulled out of dreams. I sense... A Memory Materia. Am I correct?" Vincent held out his hand, "Let me see it. We need to view the recording."

Tifa handed Vincent the glowing green orb and when he touched it, he began to glow crimson, and the glow fed itself into the Materia, powering it. After a few seconds, the area became darker and a holographic projection of Aerith was being emmited from the stone, "I guess the fact that you've activated this Materia means you've discovered the Gaia's Tears scroll. I really hope that Vincent is the one watching this, because it pertains mostly to him. Vincent... You need to know that there are seven Gaia's Tears, special Materia forged in the same realm that you use to talk to me.

"By being fed by the Spiritual Energy of the one who harbors Chaos--you--the Gaia's Tears become keys to awakening another level of power contained within you, the Holy Angel of Destruction, Ragnarok. Ragnarok is a creature created by the Fayth in the Farplane of my kind's ancient homeworld, Spira. It was designed to be extremely powerful, a prototype WEAPON, and to defeat the One Winged Angel for the final time.

"You must find the other six Tears, by using this one to locate them. Once you combine this Materia with Chaos' Lifestream within you, you will be able to feel the resonance of the other six. Time is not unlimited, and I am sure that at the moment he is moving to attempt to become a god again. If you are able to merge Chaos with the Fayth's knowledge of Ragnarok which you will know after you have the Gaia's Tears, you will become Ragnarok, and you should be able to stop Sephiroth once and for all. This time, he will be just a memory. Make sure of that."

Aerith faded away and Vincent quickly absorbed the Materia before it had a chance to crumble. "I feel them. It's weak, now... But I can feel another one is near... Somewhere."

"Then we need to find them." Tifa began to leave, but Joel was standing at the door, blocking her way. "Move!"

Joel laughed and stared down at Tifa, "Hehe, no... We can't allow you to stop the Reunion."

Again, Vincent snarled as he grew angry and impatient. "We'll kill you all."

Joel just laughed. "You couldn't even if you tried." He raised his arm, which had a glowing purple orb in it.

Vincent scoffed, "Barrier Materia? It doesn't make you invincible."

"Oh, but _this_ one does. You'd be amazed at what we can do in Materia labs nowadays." His face then became thoughtful as he continued, "I'm pretty sure not even the abilities your 'Chaos' has could pierce it."

"You don't want to find that out. It wouldn't be very pleasant for you." His snarl was growing slightly louder as an aura built up around him. He still kept his control, but it was obvious he could change in the blink of an eye if he needed to. "He won't keep his word. He can't. There is no 'Promised Land'. It doesn't exist."

Joel chuckled and turned away from Vincent in order to look at the night sky, "Doesn't exist? Do you have any idea of how insane that makes you sound, saying that? What kind of person doesn't believe that there is a Promised Land, a land to which we are entitled to inhabit and gain a vast fortune from it?"

"Face it... Mako is out as a power source, oil's in."

"No, no, no, no... Mako still has its place. Here. I'll show you." Joel lifted his arm, where a glowing red orb was, and he pointed it to the sky. "I think you'll be very pleased with me, master..."

"Tifa, run." Vincent was preparing to transform as he pushed Tifa away.

"What? No way! I'm not running. Why should I?"

"It's Ifrit!"

"What? Ifrit?"

"Yes, the ancient Summon Spirit, Ifrit." Vincent's aura was now as big as it was ever going to be, and he suddenly changed into Chaos in the blink of an eye, with his weapon, the Death Penalty, in his hand. "If you think you can help, then stay. But I don't want to see you get hurt, so go if it becomes too hard for you."

Tifa nodded, "Right."

In the sky, the magic that Joel had shot from his hand became a burning flame, which suddenly took the shape of Ifrit in the form of ash. The ash and embers were blown away by a suddenly fierce wind, and Ifrit came forth from them, heading towards Chaos. A strong look of determination formed on Chaos' face, and he flew at Ifrit, ready to fight.

On the ground, Tifa faced Joel with her gloves on in preparation, "Come on, let's do this."

Joel just laughed as he brought up an arm with sparks dancing around it. He aimed it at Tifa and lightning sped at her, leaving a bright flash. Joel thought he'd done it, but the flash subsided and Tifa stood there with a blue energy field around her. Suddenly she was gone, but she'd reappeared behind Joel, throwing a good, hard punch to the back side of his head. Although, he managed to catch himself and trip Tifa at the same time.

"Little Tifa... You're so weak..."

"Weak? I think you're projecting ideas of yourself onto me."

Joel just chuckled and shot more magic at her, this time in the form of ice. Somehow, she managed to bring a field of flames in front of her to melt the shards and spikes of frozen magic that flew towards her. Joel took advantage of her blocking this time and got behind her, knocking her down.

"So, is this all you've got? Pity... I really was expecting more out of someone like you."

"No... Not even close." While still on the ground, she activated some different Materia, which this time slowed Joel's movements. He was unable to block most of her attacks, and with one flaming punch, she shattered his Barrier spell. He tried to attack her again, but she dodged, got behind him, and threw him into the air. Before he could react, she'd dissappeared in a blue flash and reappeared in the air with him. They engaged in brief aerial combat, but Tifa gained the upper hand by throwing a hard punch that was charged with Bolt Materia, sending Joel crashing into the ground.

"Master... Did I do good?" He smirked, coughed, and then passed into unconsciousness as Tifa landed on her feet beside him.


	2. Chapter Two, Will

Chapter 2 – Will

_Would you tell her... I became a hero?_

_ For the both of us..._

_ Dilly-dally, shilly-shally... Isn't it time you did the forgiving?_

_ ... Flowers broke your fall..._

_ Back then you could get away with scraped knees. _

_ Have you ever been a bodyguard before?_

All of these broken memories were flashing throughout Cloud's mind as he struggled to overcome Sephiroth's will. But it would be for nothing, as he was surrounded by only endless darkness. "I'm not strong enough this time..."

A sinister laugh responded to his voice, "I told you, I would never be a memory." It was Sephiroth.

"I'm not strong enough..." But the only response was again that sinister laugh.

_Are sins ever forgiven?_

_ I've never tried..._

_ Never... Tried..._

That was it. Vincent was Cloud's one remaining hope; Cloud knew Vincent would be strong enough to save him. He knew he did not have the strength to save himself, and that he would need his friends, his... Family, for this one.

The battle between Chaos and Ifrit had raged on for quite a while in The Forgotten City, but Chaos had finally subdued the summon and pushed it back into its Materia stone. He was now Vincent and was tending to the battle weakened Tifa. "Vincent, what's next?"

Vincent glanced at the unconscious Joel Arley and his gang. "Somehow, we have to keep them from hurting other people."

Upon this suggestion, Tifa proceeded to tie them up and bring them inside of the old Coral house. "That'll do, for now." She smiled, but then turned serious. "Vincent, something just occurred to me..."

"Hmmm?"

"Two years ago, Aerith cured Geostigma, and took the Jenova cells from people's bodies, including Cloud's. So, how could Sephiroth control and use Clouds body without Jenova cells inside of him?"

"I can only guess, but I'd assume that they hold a deep connection, or that Sephiroth's will is just that strong." He seemed to blank out for a second. "But, there's no way to be certain. We have to go."

"Right." The two had left and went back to Tifa's bar.

"I sense it. Here. It feels stronger than it did back at The Forgotten City."

"Cloud's things..."

"What?"

"He pulled a Materia stone out of a dream before. It was that Memory Materia, but I also had one when I woke up from a dream once. It was a Dream Materia. I used it and brought back some kind of curative Materia. Cloud took them to keep them safe."

"Take me to them." Vincent followed Tifa to Cloud's room in the bar and he opened a chest with Materia in it. "No good, this is all regular Materia."

"Wait..." Tifa walked over to the chest and exposed a hidden compartment in the lid, with two Materia stones fitted neatly in the foam. "There."

Vincent touched the stones and was suddenly overwhelmed by a powerful feeling. "Ugh... No doubt about it... These are Gaia's Tears." He then proceeded to absorb the Dream Materia, but was stopped by Tifa before he could absorb either of the Materia.

"Wait... Is there anything special about those Materia other than being Gaia's Tears?"

"They're very powerful Materia, and the knowledge contained within is... Amazing... I can sense it, even now..."

"Is there something special about it?"

"Yes, something unusually... Dark..."

"Dark?" Tifa tried to touch it, but she jerked her hand away. "But I've touched it before..."

"It wants me, and only me..."

"Huh? Materia can't think."

"These can... I don't know how..." Vincent's aura consumed the Materia into his body, and he instantly went rigid. "I don't know... Something's occurred to me... Knowledge. There's a dark, somehow familiar, will power inside of these Tears..."

"What are you talking about, Vincent?"

"An answer, for your question..."

"What question?"

"You asked me why Sephiroth was capable of taking Cloud's body without Jenova's cells..."

"I remember... Wait, do you know why?"

"If Cloud tried to use one of these Materia, then yes... I know why..." Vincent looked at the other one, picked it up, and rolled it around between his index finger and thumb. "I know... It's hard to explain... But somehow, Sephiroth has broken up his essence... His soul, and he sensed that the planet was making these Tears, and made sure that parts of his soul ended up inside of them. His hatred, malice, cruelty, coldness, everything, broken up between seven stones."

"What? And you're just going to keep collecting them?"

"I must, if we wish to stop Sephiroth."

"What do you mean?"

"His intentions do not include me. Listen, not only are parts of his consciousness contained within these stones, but also parts of his power. I believe he would try to find as many of the remaining stones as he possibly could, to become whole again. And then, he could resume his plans to become a god. But, listen..." Tifa had begun to interject.

"If I were able to obtain all of the stones, I would have all of his power, and I could stop him. Not only that, but I would have some of the planet's power, as well." If there were ever anyone Tifa would never doubt, it was Vincent. He was always so sure of what he was doing, and questioning his intentions seemed like a bad idea.

"I... Okay, I'll help..." But before she could continue, Vincent grunted and dropped to the ground. "What's wrong?"

"Now I know... How Cloud felt... During these moments..." Tifa's look was a puzzled one, so Vincent grabbed her arm so that she could share in what was happening.

And then she heard it, the voice, it was Sephiroth. "So, you've found some of the parts of me that I need to return to my full strength. Very good, please do return them to me as soon as possible. I'll be waiting at the Northern Cave."

And another voice, Cloud's. "Vincent, you can't!"

"Shut up, traitor." And then the feeling and voices vanished.

Vincent was able to recover himself and he peered deeply into Tifa's dark eyes. "Cloud's still there. That's good. But we also don't have much time. I could hear the Lifestream around Sephiroth, I think he's trying to absorb it to regain some power. He may come after us if we don't find the rest of the Tears."

Tifa nodded and walked out of the bar with Vincent. The sunless sky reminded them of how long they'd been there. Both looked down the street and saw a vehicle neither of them wished to see. It was the Arley & Marcel co. van, but someone new was standing outside of it. He was dressed similarly to Joel, but he had spiky black hair and was clearly brooding, not to be disturbed. He opened one eye that darted toward the two of them.

"Been waiting on you two. Name's Davien Marcel." He nudged himself away from leaning on the driver's side door and stood in the middle of the street under a street light, arms crossed, staring at Vincent and Tifa. "Seems you gave my business associates quite a beating. And, as you know, a corporation cannot simply let something of the sort slide. I'll have to return the favor."

Vincent was calm, but it didn't seem to be lasting when he spoke, "We don't have time to deal with a bunch of idiots."

"A bunch? Oh, but I'm just one little guy. And you don't become a CEO by being an idiot, I hope you know. You become an employee." He chuckled and threw off his white trench coat, which seemed to be the trademark of their company. Underneath, he wore a belt with two blades crisscrossed in their sheaths on the back. He smoothly drew them both, ready for a fight.

Vincent simply shook his head, drew his gun, and shot both of the blades out of Davien's hands. The man simply chuckled and held up his hands in an "I don't know" sort of expression. He turned around, stared at the sky, but quickly flipped back around and shot lightning from his hands at Vincent.

A red aura surrounding the dark hero saved him from any damage, and he had soon disappeared, only to be right behind Davien and clawing him in the back, leaving bloody tears in his flesh. The big shot simply laughed and stretched out his hands, calling his blades back by sheer will power alone. He twirled them simultaneously and swung at Vincent, only to be blocked by the golden gauntlet he was wearing.

When he was able to catch a break long enough to talk, Vincent called out to Tifa to get to Cid and continued fighting. Vincent easily blocked Davien's blades, but now that he had them, Davien was able to say the same about Vincent's claw. After a few minutes of swinging and blocking, Vincent had put the CEO into a position where his gun was between the man's eyes.

Fearing for his life, Davien dropped his blades in time for the Shera to appear in the skies above. Vincent's aura snaked out and caused Davien's blades to float in the air, then it caused them to fly far away, into some back alleyway. "Come on. You're coming with us." Vincent grabbed the shaken up man, flew up into the air and landed inside the docking bay of the airship. "Follow me."

After going through some corridors, they were on the bridge, and Cid was furious. "What... Why'd ye have ter go and bring someone like that on my ship fer?! All bloody... What a damn mess..."

Tifa placed her hand on Cid's arm and smiled at him. "I'll talk to him."

"Yeah, whatever..." The pilot then went back to flying his ship without another word.

Tifa was on the couch beside Vincent and as far away from Davien as possible. "Why is he here, Vincent?"

"Better where we can keep an eye on him." Vincent looked through the windowed floor but saw nothing but dark gray clouds underneath. "It's late. Get some sleep. I don't even know where we're going, yet. I haven't been concentrating enough to sense them..."

Davien showed signs that he knew what they were talking about. "So... You're going to stop Sephiroth, huh? Yeah, that's where Joel and I don't exactly see eye to eye. He thinks the monster's some kind of hero. I think he's, well, a monster... Yeah, he might lead us to some kind of Mako rich land, but he'll just kill us there. Even if he doesn't, then what? None of us knows anything about building Mako Reactors..."

Vincent made mental notes of what Davien said, but didn't comment on it. Instead, he laid on the couch and looked out the glass dome into the night sky. The lights had been turned down to nothing but what the computer monitors emitted, so it was pretty easy to see the stars. Vincent remembered a story about where the Cetra had come from...

The tale was that they'd gone on some kind of a journey across the stars, from their home world that they called Spira. They landed on Gaia and had ever since lived in harmony with the planet's residents, until they died. Not much of the tale existed beyond that. There were versions with the Farplane, the Fayth, the Aeons, the Great Sending, things no one really understood except for the Cetra themselves. They guarded these secrets closely until they were all wiped out.

Of course, with people like Professor Hojo around, the part about them living in harmony was all a lie... He'd conducted horrid experiments on the specimens he could obtain, and this led to Sephiroth's existence and insanity. Of course, Sephiroth wasn't really a Cetra, but at the time of his inception in his mother, Lucrecia's, womb, the one from which his cells (and unique properties) came was considered to be one. Jenova, a calamity from the stars...

For the first time in years, Vincent was somehow able to succumb to sleep. A sudden realization woke him and he rushed over to Cid. "I know where we need to go."

"Good, 'cause I need to lay down. I've been flyin' all night... Oh, an' yer guest hasn't moved at all."

"Well, I'll tell your replacement where we need to go."

"All right, it's only fitting that she fly the ship I named after her." He smirked and ran off to his cabin as a beautiful woman came to take his place.

"Shera?"

"Yes, Vincent?" She sort of reminded him of Lucrecia, she had the same air about her, one might say.

"We need to go... To the Waterfall Cave." Shera nodded and Vincent knew he was free to find Tifa's cabin and wake her. He shook her shoulder and she shot up like a lightning bolt, sweating and looking worried. "You're okay, calm down. You look as if... As if you've been fighting all night."

"A dream..."

"About?"

"Cloud died, Sephiroth turned the planet into a twisted wasteland. You know, the usual."

"The usual? Have you had this one a lot, lately?" She didn't respond, and Vincent didn't want to press the issue. The two of them left her cabin and were back on the bridge. Tifa saw Shera, but didn't do anything but wave at her with a timid smile on her face. She was still shaken from her dream.

"Yes, but it's nothing to worry about," She heaved a great sigh and looked into Vincent's eyes for a few seconds before continuing, "I'm pretty sure you didn't have to wake me up, just to let me know where we're going. Am I right?"

"Yes... You recall the theory I had about Sephiroth controlling Cloud?" He went on as she nodded, "I've thought about it, and I was only partially correct. Yes, now it seems so stupid that I couldn't have realized it before. This is powerful, old magic, if you want to call it that, which Sephiroth is using...

"You, indeed, remember Cloud falling into the Lifestream and washing up in Mideel? This was no accident, as it seemed at the time... In fact, the planet was relying heavily on this in its efforts to dispose of Sephiroth. As far as I can tell, Sephiroth had discovered the planet's intent to create the Tears, and had deposited a little bit of his will, in Mako form, inside of each of the Tears.

"As the Materia grew, so did Sephiroth's will inside of the stones, feeding little by little off of the knowledge that it was so freely being given. Also, the planet had decided that Cloud would become a living Gaia's Tear, and Sephiroth took this time to deposit a little of his will safely into Cloud's body, as well as the Tears. No, it is not necessary for me to absorb anything inside of Cloud in order to complete my transformation.

"No, Cloud merely acts as a safe guard, and was chosen for his immense physical strength and combat ability. You see, the second Cloud dies, the Gaia's Tears will also cease to exist, unless, of course, I or Sephiroth have absorbed them. When Cloud contracted Geostigma, the part of Sephiroth inside him reacted to this, and saved a few Jenova cells, encasing them inside of a pocket of Mako within Cloud's body." He paused a second to think.

"I think what happened in the Shinra Manor was that Joel Arley sent some sort of a signal at him, something that caused the essence of Sephiroth and Jenova cells inside of Cloud's body to react and rapidly grow and multiply. The rapidly multiplying Jenova cells transformed Cloud's body, while Sephiroth's will took control of Cloud's much, much weaker will."

Tifa shook her head, looking through the glass floor at the clouds passing underneath. They were speeding by at high speeds, blurring into the colors of what little light was able to pass through their dense composition. "This is complicated."

"I know." Vincent gasped and looked at the tiny bit of land that he could see through the clouds. "We're here."


End file.
